


Asagao Academy: Yunna's Route - Jared's Route

by orphan_account



Series: Asago Academy: Yunna's Route Series [3]
Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8354929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: You chose Jared!





	1. Jared Festival

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! So I'm finally back after the dust settled IRL. This may be my last one I write when I finish because I can't think up of too many new things for the other routes. So, until then, I'll just work and finish up on this one. I hope you enjoy!

“Jared!” I ended up blurting out, my heart sinking so low as I saw the look on Mai’s face, her eyes looking away from me. “NO! I mean, that was just the first person I thought of… I mean… Mai…” I felt tears starting to sting my eyes a little. 

“No. Don’t be sorry.” She said, interrupting me as I kept trying to backpedal. “Don’t be sorry at all. Of course you would fall for him. Jared is the most attractive man that has ever walked on this earth…” She sighed, now looking back at you with a smile. “You probably have a much better chance with him then I ever did, anyways. _You_ actually talk to him.”

“Mai… you don’t understand… I panicked! I-” I tried to say before she held up her hand to stop me talking. 

She gave me a kind, understanding smile. “No, no. It’s better this way.”

We stood their standing and staring at each other for a moment. 

I start to blush red. 

_Did I really like Jared enough to do this to Mai? I don’t think I have those kinds of feelings for him… I don’t really like him enough to ask him out, but it was his face that first came to mind. I can’t just…_

“Well, go on! Go! Go get your man!” She shouted, trying to push me out the door.

“Wait, now!? I can’t! Not when you...”

“You are more important to me then some dumb boy, Yunna! You are my best friend.” She said with one last shove out the door, feeling something landing in my hair and all around me. I pick up what looks to be a flower petal made of paper. “Go! Go get senpai to notice you!” She told me again, tossing more of the paper cherry blossom petals over my head.

Mai became blurry as tears filled my eyes. I couldn’t say ‘no’ to her anymore. “Mai, you have the heart of an angel... ” I said as I turned around and hugged her as tightly as I could before she started to beam at me. 

“No time for crying! This is going to be your big day! You’re the main character in this story! Unless you mess up really bad, you’ll definitely get a good answer.”

“But what if I do mess up…?”

“Just GO!” she shouted before closing the door and locking it behind me.

_But… where do I find him?_  
*****************************************************************************************************

After a bit of aimlessly wandering around, I found myself in front of Jared’s room at the boy’s dorm. My heart was in my throat, still thinking about Mai. I shook my head hard, lifting my hand up to the door to give it a knock.

_NO! You have to do this! Mai had just given up her however-many year crush at the drop of a hat for you. You can’t back down now._

My hand was centimeters away from knocking on the door, stopping at the last second as another set of thoughts settled in, now starting to pace in front of the door.

_There is no way he will say yes to you. Just get this over with and tell Mai the bad news. And she can feel better. Yeah! Let’s hear him reject you. Nothing you are not used to. Let’s do this!_

I turned the doorknob and walked inside, Jared sitting at his desk with a book open, his hand under his chin as he was deep in thought.

“Hey man, what do you think about adding an extra dungeo-” I heard Jared start to say as he turned in my direction, a look of shock now on his face. “YUNNA?!” He then shoved whatever he was reading into his desk, standing to face me. “Um, what exactly are you doing here?”

_Why is he shouting my… OH. I skipped a step and I didn’t knock… I just walked into his room without knocking! What is wrong with me!?_

I was frozen on the spot for a moment before he asked me why I was here again. I clasped my hands together and bowed my head down, trying to keep my shaking to a minimum. “WILL YOU GO TO THE FLOWER FESTIVAL WITH ME!?” I asked way too loudly, the sound of my own voice startling me. I was so afraid to look up, hoping that my glasses wouldn’t fall of my face as I kept my head down. I took a chance at looking up to him, seeing him tilt his head to his side.

“Wait, you’re…” He mumbled for a moment before realizing what I said exactly. “Oh!” He then carelessly tossed his hair back and smiled, now back to his usual, confident self. “Of course I’ll go to the festival with you. In fact, I was planning on asking you myself.”

“R-really?” I asked as I let my shoulders drop.

He nodded. “But this is even better. It was brave of you to ask me out, Yunna. I know I can be… Intimidating.” He then took a step closer to me, causing me to back up so we would still have the same distance apart. “Really. Thank you. I’m impressed.”

I simply nodded at him, my heart pumping the rest of my blood into my already red face.  
“How about we meet tomorrow at two?” He suggested. “I’ve got something I want to show you.”

I take a deep breath before I replied, giving him the best smile I could make. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

“Then I must beg you to leave, milady. I have to return to what I was working on before.”

“Um… Okay!” I managed to stammer out. “I-I’m sorry for interrupting you so suddenly. Bye-bye!”

I then sprinted out of the room, closing the door behind me. I then just leaned against the wall, most of the strength in my legs gone. 

_Oh, my gosh. You said ‘bye-bye’. What are you, four? Wait… He said yes… He told you yes! And on top of that, he was going to ask you anyway!? Why? I’m not that interesting…_

There was then a dull thump from inside his room. More than likely him pulling out whatever he was working on before hand. I shook myself out of my stupor before my mind could wander on more useless thoughts like what he was saying before I had entered the room, convincing myself that I had just misheard him say ‘extra dungeon’.

“I am going to have a lot on my plate…” I said to no one as I hurried back to my dorm.

*****************************************************************************************************

I had woken up early that morning, my body lagging a bit as I put on a pink long sleeve blouse with a decorated skull on the front. With my scooter in hand, I zoomed off to town and visited the nearest convenience store, buying the oddest flavors I could find of every candy. By the time I got back, it was well past noon.

“Mai! I’m back!” I shouted as I grabbed the box my scooter came in yesterday and dumped the two plastic bags into it. “It took me much longer than I thought it would to get back. Foot traffic is killer here…”

“Nice to see you are back! I thought I would have to leave without you and pick something myself.” she said as she grabbed my hand.

“Why the rush?” I asked as I pulled away from her. I packed a few more things that I had gotten when Hana showed me around I had stayed with her and her father before leaving for America. I placed a pot that I commissioned her father to make carefully and packed it tight with old newspaper.

“I’m going to take you to buy a yukata! I’m not going to let you go on a date with Jared with you just wearing normal clothes!”

I spun my head so fast I was surprised that it didn’t fall off. “REALLY!?” I then sped up packing the box, tossing in the letter I wrote earlier. “There is no way I am going to make you pay for it, though. You just pick it out, okay? We can send my care package off on the way.”

*****************************************************************************************************

I had barely made it back in time after Mai had finished picking my yukata. We had finally decided on a black colored one with blue roses patterned on it. Mai had gotten the rest of my outfit for me, including the socks, sandals, and a little black purse to match my outfit. I couldn’t help but to spin around, enjoying the feeling of wearing traditional Japanese clothing even though it wasn’t normally worn at this festival. 

Mai had said that she needed more time to pick her’s out and wanted to go to the festival later anyway. She kept dodging my questions on what she was planning on doing. She just hurried me along. And I only got in gear when she pointed out the time.

I didn’t really buy that she was going to the festival at all.

I started to shift nervously on the spot we agreed to meet, the sun sinking it’s heat into me. 

_He’s kinda late… Was he here earlier and decided to go on without me? No, he wouldn’t be like that. Just be patient..._

I took a deep breath of spring air, looking at the greenery around me as the birds filled what would have been a quiet afternoon before the festival started. The air was scented with the sea and… did I smell… Ham?

“Yunna!” Jared called out as if on cue, turning around the corner looking a little disheveled before straightening himself up and giving me his patented smile. “I’m sorry I’m so late.” 

I shook my head. “It’s okay.”

_I am just glad you showed up in the first place._

“You look… beautiful.” He said, now walking around me to get a better view of my outfit. “Not many foreigners can pull off a yukata so well. Especially one as black as this.” He then paused as he was in front of me again. “Yet with you… it only brings out your beauty.”

I laughed nervously, not used to having so many flowery words thrown in my direction. “I doubt that… but I appreciate the compliment.”

“Together, we make the most attractive pair Asagao has ever seen!” he said as if it was already a fact. “And I would know, I keep a track of that stuff.”

_Wow, he must keep track of that as well as I keep a track of hundreds of webcomics and fanfictions._

“So…” I started off. “What are we going to be doing today?”

“I wanted to show you something.” He said as he relaxed into his normal standing position. “Have you been off-campus yet?”

“Just twice. Both today. I had to get things to send home and my outfit. I haven’t seen too much of the area though. Why?”

He smiled. “Great. Well, not great, but I have something to show you. Come on.” He then held out his hand for me to take. 

“I-It’s okay. I’ll just follow…” I mumbled as he took my hand anyway, gently leading me off the school grounds. I couldn’t help but to notice how thin his hand was. It was so warm, even against my own sweaty palms. It was also so much bigger than mine. I had never felt so small in my life. Yet his hands felt as if they were intricate and agile, clearly hands of a skilled artist. It reminded me how my uncle’s were. 

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I had only caught the last bit of what he was asking me. “Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that?” I asked as my attention went back to him.

“I asked, ‘What did you think of me when we first met?’”

“Oh! Um… Honestly?” I asked nervously, feeling my hand tremble in his grip.

_That’s right. He was my first impression of this school when I first got here, wasn’t he?_

I tightened my grip on his hand to still myself. “I honestly can’t remember too much… I was just so excited to be in Japan. And… I couldn’t believe that you just started talking to me at first. It was like I just walked into a manga… You were the very first person I met here and you looked so handsome. I was so scared to make a wrong impression.” I then started to blush. “And you… you learned my name before I could learn yours…”

“Of course I remembered your name. I was struck by you.” I tilted my head in confusion and motioned for him to continue. “I… I can’t really put my finger on it.” He then rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not used to not being able to explain things. This is weird.” He then took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Okay, you know when you have a cute little kitten? And when it is in front of you, it is the most captivating, magnificent creature you have ever seen? You just want to watch it and cuddle it. And make sure no one steps on it. It was kind of like that. Except you are a girl instead of a kitten, and you don’t need me to keep people from stepping on you. Anyway, I was working on something at the time, and I couldn’t stay focused. So, I just had to talk to you.”

I giggled at his comparison to me for a kitten. “Wait, you were working on something? What was it?”

“Uh…” He muttered before pointing to some trees in the distance. “Do you see that?”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen trees like these before.” I said as I decided to humored him.

“These trees are really smart. They only bloom after the last snow of the season has fallen.”

I smiled. “Wow. That’s so cool. Nature is amazing, isn’t it? How do you think it knows?”

He sighed wistfully. “Some things are not meant for us to know.”

_Okay. I get the hint already._

*****************************************************************************************************

We left in the opposite direction of the train station, heading toward a big empty field that reminded me a lot of the big plains that surrounded the area I lived in when I was still stateside. I had seen this area before, but it looked very different during the day. Just as I was about to comment, Jared pulled me to the left of how we were walking down to the edge of the field and toward the treeline. I noticed how he calmed down quite a bit now that we were out of the public eye. 

_Was he… putting on airs earlier? Hm... I like this… It is a nice change of pace._

We then started to walk through the trees, my eyes glued to the ground as he continued to guide me along. The last thing I wanted was a rock or stick slipping into my sandal strap. I then noticed that we were starting to follow an old animal path now, allowing me to look up at the forest around me. My mind was filled with memories of many stories that took place in such a locale, smiling. Wherever we were going, it was quite out of the way. I felt myself bump into Jared as he suddenly stopped, cursing at myself in my head for getting lost in my daydreams again.

“We’re here.” He said with glee, blocking my view from whatever he really wanted me to see. He then took a step to my right, making a flourished sweeping motion with his arm for a big reveal. “Look.”

I gasped as I saw the field of wildflowers in all shapes and colors. I moved as quickly as I could in my yukata toward them, bending down to get a closer look. “It’s so pretty! I never seen so many flowers in one place before!” I exclaimed as I looked back at him.

“This is a secret place. At least, I hope it is.I don’t tell people about it.” He started to say as I fumbled with my purse, digging for my phone. “The flowers here are the most beautiful I have ever seen. I think it is because the soil here is allowed to go through its natural cycles. Things die in it, they decompose, the flowers get to eat… And the flowers die in the winter, just like everything else here. But in spring, they bloom again, and each year they’re more vibrant. They pop open and sing to the skies, sweet melodies of light and water and sundrops...”

As he was talking, I snapped picture after picture of the field, knowing that if I didn’t capture it now, I would never get the chance to ever again. I tilted this way and that as I stayed low to the ground so I could just get the flowers in view of the camera. It took about a dozen times or so before I finally got the perfect shot. “Look! I got it!” I said as I stood back up to show him.

“Ah, nevermind.” Jared excused, now looking at the photo. “They’re just really pretty flowers.”

“They are…” I said as I thought about why he dismissed me so suddenly, only to realize that he may have thought I wasn’t listening. “Oh! Um… I was listening to you! I just couldn’t help but to take a photo… You know... It was very poetic, what you said. I bet I can picture the flowers with all you said with them singing to the skies… You know quite a bit about them.” 

Jared then started to blush, making my heart skip a beat.

“Uh, yeah. I do.” He mumbled, silence now filling the air with an uncomfortable tension.

I wanted the feelings stirring inside me to stop. I had to say something. 

“Did.. I say something I shouldn’t have?” 

He shook his head. “No, not really. I’m just… really bad at talking about myself. I never know exactly what to say.”

We continued to look at each other, my gaze now at the phone’s screen that was still on my camera app.

He took a deep breath before he spoke again. “My family owns a school for the traditional Japanese arts.”

“Really?” I gasped as I looked back at him, a big smile on my face. As I was about to ask about which school it was to see if it was any that I knew, he put his hands in his pockets and was looking away from me and a frown formed from his mouth.  
“We’re masters of all the traditional arts. Tea ceremonies, flower arrangement, Kabuki theater, dance…” He started to explain, “Old families send their kids to us to be cultured, and girls from all over Japan get sent to learn how to be… ‘good women’.”

I then finally added two and two together, realizing why he acted so regal. Why he was so good at many things and why he had to act so poised, charismatic, and elegant. He had grown up in such an environment that shaped him into this beautiful presence of a person. “Is that why you are at Asagao?” I asked, remembering how this school was for the best and brightest.

He sighed deeply. “Only the best for me. You don’t know how much talking it took me to get my mom to send me here, or to let me start modeling.”

I gave a small huff, reflecting on how I had gotten here. “We are kind of polar opposites, aren’t we?”

Jared looked at me warily. 

_I said that out loud, didn’t I?_

I didn’t know what I could say to remedy the situation, so I ended up turning back to the flowers again, my phone still in my hand. I then heard him walk up to me and felt him spin me around, taking my phone in the process. 

“Why don’t we take a photo to remember the occasion?” He asked with a wink, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as the other one extended as far as it could in front of us. He now angling the both of us into the perfect position in the sunlight that beamed down on us, the sudden closeness taking away my ability to speak. He tilted my body back with his, the smell of ham and cologne now filling my senses. “Smile!”

I simply looked up at him, hearing my phone click a single time. The gears in my brain the finally began to move again. “Ah! No! I’m terrible at taking photos of myself!” I said as he pulled away from me, grinning as he looked at the shot.

“I donno. I think you are very photogenic when _I_ am with you.” He said as he then started to poke at my screen some more, pulling away from me.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I panicked, my motherly instinct with my tech kicking in. 

“Don’t worry. I’m just sending a copy to my cell.” He said, taking a few moments more before a ding from his phone was heard. He then handed my phone back to me, a new contact added my my very short list of existing ones. I blushed as I saw the contact photo was changed to the one we just took. Jared was looking directly at the camera while I was gazing up at him, a faint, embarrassed smile on my lips.  
_We look just like a real couple…_

“Well, would you to keep walking?” He asked, smiling at my reaction, “There are a few other nice places I can take you.”

“I’d love to!” I said as I smiled, holding the phone to my chest after pushing the lock button.

Jared then started to walk down another path that I had missed, following after him like a duckling. “So, tell me a bit about yourself. How’d you get into Asagao?”

“Well, I wanted to come here the moment I learned about this school. But, I was so wrapped up with taking care of my family I had forgotten… I was kind of a sad-sally. I didn’t go to any clubs or have lots of friend. And I stayed home a lot. My uncle heard of the scholarship here and the rest of my family pushed me into applying for it.” I watched as Jared looked at me with curiosity. “I still can’t believe that I had gotten through the interview process… All the kids here are super rich, like Mai, or crazy smart , like Satch, or talented geniuses, like you...” My voice faded as I noticed Jared beaming at me.

“Why, thank you, my dearest lady.” He said, his grin only getting bigger.

“Um, your… welcome?”

_He is putting on his mask again. Why? It’s just us. He can relax. I guess he doesn’t fully trust me yet. I wouldn’t blame him. I’m not too sure either. And it doesn’t help that my feelings are so confused now..._

“Well,” He said, “What are your dreams?”

“My dreams? I haven’t had any dreams lately…” I said as I thought of last night, not remembering anything as I slept.

“Really? You don’t have anything you want to do after leaving Asagao?”

“Oh!” I blushed, “I misunderstood. Yes! I do have a dream. But you would probably think it’s silly…”

“Try me.” He said as we both stopped.

“Well, I want to… I-I want to…” I then mumbled the last of my words.

“Come again?” He asked, looking concerned.

“I… I want to have a family of my own. A boy and a girl if I can manage it with whoever I marry… It’s something… It’s one thing I really wanted since I was a kid.” I look up at Jared.

_I never had the time or the money to try out different things… I was lucky to get free tea ceremony lessons from my uncle’s friend… I liked doing that, but I don’t think that would be a very stable job in the states..._

“So, other then that, you don’t know?”

“Oh! If we are talking about jobs or what I want to be… I don’t really know… I never thought of it much.”

Jared laughed a little. “That’s okay. Me either.”

I was a little surprised at this. “Really? But you seem like a real renaissance man. You could probably do anything!”

“Yeah. That’s me.” He said as he rubbed his neck and looked away from me again. 

“You don’t want to explain?”

He looked annoyed as he turned to face me, his eyes looking straight into mine. “Do you actually want to hear this?” he said with more force than was necessary. “Do you?”

“Yes.” I said flatly, “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”

_Why is he mad at me now?! All I did was ask. If he didn’t want to talk about it, he shouldn’t have said anything!_

“My mother wants me to inherit the Institute, of course. There’s no one but me to do it.” He started off, “I’m not so sure. I rather go into entertainment.”

“I could see you doing that!” I agreed.

He chuckled. “Do you? There’s not a good likelihood I’ll end up in anything but a few commercials, maybe small-town plays, and some restaurant in Osaka.”

I laughed at him. “Are you kidding?”

“No, I’m being practical.”

“No, you are being ridiculous! Where did your steadfast confidence and faith go? You wouldn’t be a good anything at this rate.” He just looked straight through me. “If it was anyone else, you would tell them that they just had to keep going until it happened. Am I right? It applies to you too! If you work hard enough and are good enough and don’t give up, you’ll definitely make it! I believe in you!” I watched as his expression changed from one to another. “Besides, if it doesn’t work out, like you said, at least you have something to fall back on. Not many people can say that. But until then, you can still try!”

Jared sighed. “You’re right. I should believe in myself.” He started to smile again. “And maybe you’ll figure out exactly you want to do, too!”

“Yeah!” I agreed, bursting with the same energy he had now.

*****************************************************************************************************

We walked up to the entrance to the girl’s dorm, the sun slowly setting in the distance. I then started to wonder if we were still going to go to the festival. 

_I wouldn’t blame him for ending our date here. It has been a long day. Especially about the things we talked about. I’m kinda worn out myself..._

“Here we are.” He mumbled, looking up at Primrose House.

“Yep.” I said, looking up along with him. “I guess we are...”

“OHHHH!” I must have had a disappointed look on my face bad enough for him to jump back.

“Uh… It’s okay that we didn’t go to the festival! I had a really great time!” I said quickly.

“I’m glad, but that wasn’t it. I did want to spend more time with you, but I have something I need to practice for.”

“Okay. Thanks again...” I said as he waved his hand at me. 

“Don’t worry. You will find out about it soon enough.” He then took both of my hands in his, as if it wasn’t a big deal at all. “Thank you so much.” He looked deeply into my soul, causing it to start to leave my body as I forgot how to breath and my heart raced. “Really, I mean it. I loved this. You don’t know how much this means to me.” He then finally returned my hands and started to pull away from me. “Anyway, I’ll talk to you later. Bye!”

He then dashed away to wherever he was going, leaving a dust trail in his wake.

_Oh no… I might really be falling for him…_

*****************************************************************************************************  
The sunset turned from orange to pink by the time I had gotten back to the room. I was started to see Mai in her bunk, staring at the wall in front of her. “Mai!? What are you still doing here? And in your pajamas, no less! Don’t tell me you got stood up at the last minute.”

Mai turned to face me, surprise painted on. “Yunna? You’re back already? The festival is still going.”

“We had to cut our date short because Jared had something to work on. We spent most of the day together, though.”

“Oh, I see.” 

“Did you not go at all?” I asked, watching her shift in her bunk.”

“Well, I went, but I left pretty quickly.” she said, shrugging. “You know. Once you been to one, you’ve been to them all. Plus, I didn’t want to get roped in to selling flowers with Miss Shizuka. She’s been crazy since her boyfriend broke up with her.”

“Again?” I said as I rolled my eyes, Mai nodding in agreement.

Silence filled the room. As much as I wanted to unwind and recharge from the fun I had today, and I really wanted to, I couldn’t let Mai just sit here in the darkening room all by herself like this. I started to gather her yukata that she had left on her desk, unfolding it from it’s ‘fresh from the store’ state. 

“What are you doing?” Mai asked, confused as I continued to gather her outfit.

“That’s it! Boys or no boys, we are going to that festival and we are going to have fun! We’re _having fun_!” I shouted as I threw her outfit at her. “I am not going to let you stay here and mope. And I’m not taking no for an answer. No buts!”

“But you already been out today… And…” She continued to come up with excuses as I pulled her from her bunk and helped her dress. It was only when I finished pinning her hair up that she finally submitted to her fate.

“Look, Mai…” I said as I looked at her in the mirror. “I want to thank you for letting me go out with Jared. I know how much he meant to you. But as much as he meant the world to you, you mean to me right now.” I then hug her from behind without her prompting me. “Okay? Now, come on! Let’s just forget about all that and have the time of our lives!”

“Okay, okay… Just… let’s go before I ruin my make-up…” She said, her eyes wet with tears as she turned around and hugged me back before the both of us headed out the door.

“Sooo…. How did it go?” She asked, her grin aimed at me.

“Um… It was… It was really nice…” I blushed, thinking back on the tender moment we had. “I didn’t expect it to go so well. I never really been on a date before and I thought I would have messed up big time. He’s so suave.”

_“Isn’t he?”_ Mai gushed. “He’s so cute! And he’s soooo beautiful! Really, there is no other person I would approve of him dating. If it wasn’t you, I’d kill her!” She then growled rather forcefully, wondering if she wasn’t really mad at me.

“I hardly call one date enough to warrant us going steady.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She said as she waved her bag at me, the both of us now walking out the school gates. “I supposed you could have messed it up badly enough that he’d never want to see you again. That’s probably why he hovered around and walked you back.”

“Mai, you’re terrible!” I laughed as I softly pushed her.

She smiled back and pulled me in for a hug as we walked. “Oh, Yunna! My adorable friend, finally finding a man who understands how wonderful you are!”

“I’m not that great…” I muttered.

“At any rate, I am glad you had fun. If you didn’t…” She then pounded her fist in her palm, my body still in her hug. “So, what did you guys do?”

I then filled her in on what happened. The field of flowers, what we talked about, even Jared’s compliments. I was turning red recalling it all.

“He’s suave as hell.” Mai whistled. “This calls for a celebration! We are going to get the cherry blossom ice cream they sell only today! My treat.” She then started to run out ahead of me, the festival lights growing closer.

“Sure!” I shouted as I tried to keep up.

*****************************************************************************************************

I had gotten in the shower after we came back from playing all the games, eating all the food, and looking at all the boys at the festival, leaving me alone with my thoughts. 

_Mai is such a good friend. But then, I would probably do the same thing if I was her. But… I’m still kind of happy Jared asked me instead of her. I could care less about his looks, but there was something in him, something genuine that was trying to get out…_

I finally got back into the room, feeling much better without the grime of the day on me, noticing Mai with such a sad look on her face. 

“I’m… going to head to bed…” She mumbled as she pulled up her covers.

“Okay… Good night.” I said, now turning off the light and climbing into my own bunk.

_I know it may take some time, but she should get over him… right? There is nothing to feel guilty about. Besides… Jared is probably just going to move on to some other girl… I shouldn’t get too attached… I’ll just hope it’s Mai next time…_


	2. Flowers and Thank Yous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunna gets a nice gift and goes to say thank you.

I groaned as I woke up to the sound of Mai’s hair dryer.

“Oh, sorry, Yunna! Mimi is using all the outlets again.” She complained. “What a jerk! Why that girl can’t learn how to blow dry her hair straight instead of using four different straightening irons is beyond me...”

“Don’t worry about it. I need to get up anyway.” I said as I climbed out of bed and grabbed my clothes from the closet. I watched Mai as I got ready, noticing she was a bit more energetic than usual.

“I can’t believe this…” She muttered. “It’s so dumb we have class a day after the festival. Like, who does that?”

“The day just landed on a weekday this year, that’s all. Hopefully next year it will be on a Friday.” I shrugged.

“Whatever. Shizuka will be hungover, so it is not like we have to try.”

_Mai is really doing her best to act normal, isn’t she? She is so cool. I will have to do my best to do the same for her! We are just going to have a nice, normal day._

*****************************************************************************************************

We walked to class, Mai recalling a story about some dumb guy she crossed.

“And I was like, ‘Just leave me alone!’ and then I threw my raw meat at him!”

“No! What a waste.” I said as I sighed. “It’s not good to waste food like that. Think of the farmers. You could have done something else to him...”

“Yeah, well, he totally deserved it!” Mai pouted. “You can’t just go stalking people after they turned you down. That’s creepy!”

“I second that.” I said as we approached our lockers. “I mean, if you said ‘no’ the first time, what makes them think that you will say ‘yes’ the second?”

After getting our books for the day, I opened the door to the classroom only to be greeted by Mimi who ran right up to me after shouting my name. It was kind of unsettling. 

“Um… is there something I can do for you, Mimi?” I asked, now looking around the room to see the rest of the class now staring at me. PBG, Shane, Jon, even Ian.  
“Hey, what’s going on?” Mai asked as she lined up behind me to see the situation. “You have a problem with my friend?”

“No.” Mimi said as she stepped to the side to let us through. “It’s… Well, see for yourself.”

My eyes then went to my desk, a bouquet of blue, white, and yellow flowers resting on it’s surface. I stayed silent as I walked past desk after desk, struck by the beauty of it. I was afraid to touch it, as if it would disappear the second I did. Nobody else said anything as I put my backpack on the desk’s hook and looked closer to see that there was a card sticking out from the very top of the arrangement. Mai just followed behind me, just as speechless as I was. The scent of the flowers wafted up to me, soothing my frayed nerves.

_They are so pretty…_

The flowers were arranged by an expert hand, the smaller flowers being showcased by the larger ones, the yellows and whites sparkling like stars against the blue. I was captivated by them. But the card still caught my eye yet again, now pulling it from the center and causing more of the flowers aroma to spread. The card was a creme color with gold surrounding its edges. There was no company logo or name. Just the word ‘ _Knabenbauer_ ’. I opened the card as carefully as I could so I wouldn’t damage it. The message was written in an impressive cursive that was clearly written with a calligraphy pen.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yunna,

Thank you for attending the Flower Festival with me.  
I could not have a lovelier time than with someone as beautiful in both heart and mind as yourself.

The blue flowers are Hydrangea. They symbolize my gratefulness for your understanding.

The white flowers are Anemones. They symbolize sincerity. 

The yellow ones are Gardenias. They symbolize how I feel for you.

I hope you have a great day today. I’ll see you again soon.  
Jared.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Damn…” Mai said as she read over my shoulder.

_So much for a normal day._  
I nodded in agreement. I was afraid to say something I shouldn't.

“It’s okay, Yunna.” She said, comforting me by leaning her chin on my shoulder. “These are amazing! You must have really impressed him.”

“I don’t know how… It’s not like I did anything great…” I mumbled, fumbling with the card in my hand now.

“So those are from Jared?” Mimi snarked.

“Yeah, they are.” Mai retorted back, staring straight at Mimi as she stood straight, her hands on her hips. “My best friend and him went to the Flower Festival together. Got a problem with it?”

“Whatever.” She replied, obviously not happy with the turn of events, now heading back to her own desk.

“T-thanks, Mai. You’re the best…” I mumbled as she turned to face me again, a smile on her face.

She giggled. “Yunna, this is great! He is totally head over heels for you!”

A warm sensation washed over my heart, now realizing that my feelings for him was just the same. I was still just as confused on how he would feel that way for me. I gave her a simple nod as I continued to blush, Mai returning the nod.

“I’m really happy for you. Do you like them?” Mai grinned, enjoying the reactions I was giving her.

I nod again, looking back at the bouquet. “This is way too much for a thank you. I never expected anything like this.”

“It must be because we are in different classes, so he won’t get to see you.” Mai reasoned. “Congratulations, though!”

The bell rang as Ms. Shizuka walked in, not noticing the commotion around my desk as she looked worse for wear. “Class, get in your seats and self-study or something…” She grumbled as she put her head in her hands, blocking out the light coming from the windows.

“Told you she would be hung over.” Mai giggled as sat down next to me.

Ms. Shizuka looked in Mai’s direction and finally saw the flowers I was trying to hide underneath my desk. “What’s going on here?” She then stood up from her desk, a glare in her eyes. “Oh, I see how it is. Someone sent you flowers, did they?” She then started to walk toward me, my heart racing.

_Notgoodnotgoodnotgood!_

“Seems like some boy loves you, doesn’t he?” She sneered. “INCORRECT!”

I jumped as she slammed her hand against my desk.

“MEN! All men are _scum_ who will leave you at the first sign of an ageline!” She raged before taking a sad breath of air and directed her attention back to me. “Just remember what I said, Yunna. You poor thing. Someday, you’ll feel heartbreak and you will understand.”

I gave her a nod to let her know that I understood. 

She then started to sob, heading back to her desk to slump and fall asleep. “Class… just… do something today…”

“Whoa… that was bad.” Mai commented after confirming that she was out, a soft snore heard throughout the room. “See? Even Shizuka’s jealous!”

I nod again as I take out my workbooks and start to work on the next assignment. “We might as well get to work. We might be able to get ahead in our homework.”

The scent of Jared’s flowers enveloped the air around me, distracting me time and time again as his face came to mind. As I worked, I glanced up at Mai, seeing her looking out the window with a frown on her face. Sadness started to seep into me. 

_I wish there was something I could do to help Mai feel better… But what can I do? Hm… Well, I should at least go see Jared and thank him for the flowers… I think Mai needs some time for herself to figure things out._

*****************************************************************************************************

The bell rang, now realizing that class was over. I felt my bones pop, not realizing how still I was during class. Ms. Shizuka slowly rose from her seat and just as slowly made her way out the door. 

“Mai, do you mind heading back without me?” I asked, now putting away my tablet.

Mai nodded. “Yeah, of course! I need to get ready for practice, anyways. I’ll see you later!” She then started to leave the room, her smile dimming the farther she walked.

I sighed, looking back at the flowers on my desk. I couldn’t help but to feel guilty about how miserable I was making Mai. As I picked up the bouquet, I turned to see PBG now in front of me.

“Yunna, is Mai okay?” He asked, concern in his eyes.  
“She…” I started to say, taking a moment to decide whether I should tell him the truth. I sighed again. “Not really.”

“What happened?” He asked.

I showed him the flowers, the card now back on the top. His eyes widened.

“Oh.” He said, realization waving over him. “ _Oh._ ”

“Yeah.” I admitted. “It’s a mess. I know she says it is alright and keeps cheering me on... But I know she is feeling really bummed out about it. I don’t know what to do. I know how much she liked him… and I ended up doing this to her anyway… I’m an awful friend…”

“That’s… really hard.” He mumbled, patting me on the head. “You are not awful. Things just… ended up this way. People feel the way they feel. You can’t help it. I don’t know if there is anything you can do? I don’t think she would want you to stop for her sake.” He then thought for a moment. “You know, maybe it’ll help to have someone she could talk to. I’ll go check on her.”

“Really? That would be great.” I said, smiling.

_What a great guy. To check in on someone he doesn’t know too well to make sure they are okay._

“Sure.” he said, smiling back. “I can’t just watch someone be so sad all the time.”

“Thank… Thanks, PBG. Good luck.” 

“No problem! I’ll see you later! Bye-bye!” he said as he then ran out of the room and toward the dorms. 

_Wow, he is so nice. Hana is lucky to have a friend like him during her childhood. Wish I had the same. Hopefully he will cheer Mai right up! After all, he is right about me not being able to do anything without making things worse. Trying to hide real feelings will just hurting us in the long run. Maybe… maybe he can make her…_

I shake out the silly thought of shipping them out of my head, having enough on my hands as it is. I then head out the door, trying to decide on where to start my search. When I thought about it, I didn’t know too much about him other then what I learned on our date. I checked his classroom and his lockers with no luck. I then tried the campus commons and the snack shop. Nada. 

_Maybe I should try the clubroom? They probably won’t let me in, but I could at least ask if he is in there. I could always wait outside._

I shrugged, now heading in the direction of the clubroom. 

As I got closer, I heard various bangs, shouting, and other noises coming out from the Normal Boots clubroom.

_Are they fighting in there? Well, maybe whoever is in there can tell me where I can find Jared._

I then walked up and knocked on the door, wondering if they could hear me through all the ruckus. “Excuse me!” I said with a loud tone I rarely used. “Is Jared in there?”

I was surprised with it was Jared himself that opened up the door to greet me.

“Yunna! Perfect, you are just in time!” He grinned as he pulled me inside, closing the door behind me. My heart leaped at his touch, almost causing me to drop the flowers. 

Inside, Shane, Jirard, all of Continue?, and Jon were all on top of their desks.Shane’s tie was on his head as if it was a headband and Jon was wearing his jacket as if it was a cape.Continue? were all on one desk, grasping at each other as they tried to stay on top to form some kind of human pyramid I have never seen before. I smiled at the silly scene.

“Alas!” Jared exclaimed, clearly putting on a character. “The mayor has finally arrived! Please, tell us how you will save us from the scourge that has risen in the above-water city of Atlantis!”

I grinned, my improve instincts from long ago kicking in. “My dear fellow, with this!” I then raise the bouquet he had given me. “We shall raise an army of plant people to aid us in our quest to protect my people!”

But the scene was ruined when a deep sigh escaped from Shane’s lips. He was pulling his tie back around his neck as he climbed down from his desk. “I don’t think nonmembers should be allowed in the clubroom.”

A frown replaced my smile. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to break the fourth-wall. I’ll leave…”

I gave a small bow and was about to leave the room when I heard an oddky shaped lamp in the corner speak.

“Oh, come on, Shane.” Jirard said with the lampshade in his hands. “Yunna is basicly a member.”

I shook my head. “No, he is right. Until I win the tournament, I have no right to be here. Excuse me.” I then tried to leave again only this time I actually succeeded.

“Everyone, take five!” Jared shouted as he crossed his arms, following me out. He shut the door behind us, now looking at me with sympathy. “I’m sorry about that, Yunna.”

“It’s okay. I was just asking if you were in there anyway. I wasn’t expecting to be suddenly thrown into an improv session.” I said, still disheartened that I couldn't join in the fun. “Besides, he is right.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he has to be rude about it.” 

I sighed and nodded.

Jared looked at me, his sparkles reflecting in my glasses. “Something on your mind?”

“Well, he never really liked me.” I noted.

Jared then ran his fingers through his hair, becoming even more perfect. “Try not to take anything Shane says too seriously. He’s… had a bad history with girls, so it takes him a while to warm up to them. Just try not to take it personally.”

“Ah, once bitten, twice shy. I understand.”

Jared looked at me fondly. “Thanks, Yunna.”

I sighed again. “Man, I really wanted to join in on your fun…”

“Oh, in there?” He said, a weird expression overcoming his face as he tried to hide his excitement. “You have done improv before, I take it?”

“Yes. I used to be in my old school's drama club for a bit before my family took priority. I always loved the crazy situations that people came up with. And it is kind of tricky to make sure that there was a beginning, conflict, then resolution. Especially when you do a ‘Yes, and…’ improv. You guys had quite the story going on in there.”

“Well, I am glad you like it. Maybe you can join us next time?”

My smile grew. “I’d like that. I may be a little rusty though… That is if Shane will let me join in, that is…”

“You make a good point!” Jared laughed. He seems even happier then when I first entered the room. “It’s probably for the best!”

_Oh my gosh, he is so cute… Why didn’t I heed Mai’s warning? My nose is going to melt off now…_  
I looked down so hopefully he wouldn’t noticing how red I was, noticing the flowers in my hands. 

“Oh! That’s right! I came to thank you for the flowers… So… Thank you.” I said as carefully as I could so I wouldn’t trip over my words.

Jared waved his hand in the air. “Don’t thank me, I’m actually sorry for them.”

“Hm? Why’s that?”

“I was trying to find flowers as beautiful as you, but it was impossible.”

I giggled. “So smooth.”

He then started to lean toward me, the gap between us shrinking fast. His hand reached toward my face. I was about to faint from being unable to breath until the door was flung open.

“Hey guys! Are you finished yet?” Jirard asked, clueless about what was happening moments before.

I thanked him in my head for intervening as I remembered to inhale.

Jared on the other hand was not a happy camper. He sucked air between his teeth as he turned to Jirard. “Try reading the atmosphere, bud.” 

“What are you talking about?” Jirard asked just as clueless as before. “The air pressure is always the same.”

“...Nevermind.” Jared dismissed, turning to me again. “Looks like I got to go, Yunna. I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Bye.” I said, watching him as he went back inside with Jirard.

_Fhew. Fainting crisis averted. Thank you, Jirard!_

I soon heard screams coming from the clubroom again, giggling a little as I started to walk back to the dorm.

*****************************************************************************************************

“Finally home.” I said to myself as I got to room 325. I felt more drained the the usual day of school. I tried turning the knob, only to hear the click of the lock keeping me out. Annoyed, I fished my keys out and inserted it into the lock only to overhear a conversation.

“Those flowers are _so_ pretty, though.” I heard Kakusu say.

“There’s just no way.” Mimi retorted.

I paused after I pulled my key out of the door. They were talking about me.

Kakusu continued. “Do you really think that they are an official coupled pairing, yet?”

“Of course not!” Mimi shouted. “Jared is a god compared to Yunna. There’s no way he would be interested in someone like her.”

“Don’t I know it.” I mumbled to myself as I casually pushed the door in. I closed it shut with my foot and set the flowers on my desk, pulling out a few of my textbooks from my drawers and some clean, white paper before turning to the mirror to examine myself. 

“Seriously. What does he see in me?” I sighed as I started to grab one of each flower and start to smash them down a little on the paper, sandwiching them in between and pressing them with my weight and the text books.

*****************************************************************************************************

“Oh, man!” Mai shouted as we sat in the cafeteria, “I am so tired of sitting around inside.”

I nodded. It was only the first week of school, but I was getting sick of the plain walls of the classroom. “Yeah. I miss my old school’s layout now. It sucked having to walk outside during the winter, but during fall and spring, it was nice…” I looked outside the open window we were standing by, I started to see the spring was slowly turning into summer. Butterflies, flowers, and squirrels were starting to flitter around outside. I took a deep breath, smelling the freshly-cut grass. “We should eat outside today.”

“Oh, my gosh, YES! Thank you, Yunna, Thank you!”

We then carefully took our trays outside, counting my blessings for opting for onigiri today. But I was so distracted on how beautiful the day was, Mai was able to go to our dorm and bring back a blanket for us to sit on. 

“About time, Ms. Daydreamer.” She teased as she sat down. “While you were gone, I was thinking we should play a game!”

I kneeled down and started to unwrap my ball of rice and seaweed. “What kind of game? I Spy?”

“Ugh, no.” She said, taking a bite of her ham sandwich and chewing before she spoke again. “That’s way too boring. How about we abduct a crocodile and put it into Mimi’s bathtub?”

“I don’t think the poor crocodile deserves that. Besides, I think our lunch hour would be too short to do that.” I said, unable to get my sarcasm across again.

“Yeah, you're right.” She nodded. “I guess we can also, like, go into her room and clean it up or something. She’d never knew who did it.”

“Mai… we shouldn’t help out our enemies.” I sighed, taking another bite, thinking about the game Hana had taught me. “How about Ninja?”

“Ninja? What’s that?” Mai asked.

I sprang to my feet and took a fighting position I recalled from a manga I read once that had a ninja with a bowl haircut that was clothed completely in green. “I CHALLENGE YOU TO BATTLE!”

“Yahaaa!” Mai jumped up and was standing a yard away from me. “I don’t know what this means, but okay!”

My eyes narrowed as I noticed she was far enough away for physical attacks to be useless but close enough for projectiles. “I see you are well-trained in the Saikyo-style of martial arts. Unfortunately for you, I have battled against a pink-haired foe who also trained in that school.”

“Yes, I was raised in a warrior monk temple after my parents were killed in a mugging!” She shouted back at me.

“Too bad for you I know the only style capable of destroying Saikyo-style.” I said as I now took a different position, both of my arms out and a foot up like a crane. “ROSETHORN JUTSU!”

“NO!” Mai gasped.

“YES!” I shouted, now jumping over the blanket and landing next to her. “To make this a fair fight, we must take turns! First I attack, you dodge, but only in one movement. Then you can attack with the same system!”

“I’m not sure I underst-” She started to say before I swiped at her with my right hand, watching her dodge with a single step.

“Of course you do.” I say quietly, retaining my stance. She swiped at my stomach and I took a step back to avoid her touch. 

“I see.” She giggled. “It is only a matter of time before your downfall.”

“Hey,” PBG said as he wandered closer to us, standing behind Mai. “What’s going on over here?”

“AAAHHHH!” She screamed as then hit PBG in the face with the back of her hand. “Oh no!”

“Are you okay?” I asked as PBG fell to the ground to show Jared doubling over in laughter behind him.

“Hahahahahaha… That was amazing!” He then turned to Mai, tears in his eyes. “Mai, you should be proud.”

“It’s… fine…” PBG mumbled as he scrambled to get up. “Mai, you have really good reflexes.”

“I am so sorry!” She apologized again, now grabbing his face and looking it over for bruises. It looked like she was only making it worse, by the look on PBG’s face.

Jared stepped around them and was now standing next to me. “What were you guys doing?”

“We were playing a game of Ninja…” I sighed, watching Mai and PBG in front of me for a moment before I saw Jared’s face light up.

“Ninja? What’s that? It sounds awesome!” 

“You should play with us!” Mai chimed in, springing up to PBG’s side and looking slightly pink as she looked up to him, “I mean, if you want to.”

“Sure, it sounds fun.” PBG said as smiled. “Don’t feel bad, Mai. It was just my luck. Besides, now I know who to call if I ever need a bodyguard!”

Jared and I laughed as Mai now turned red. 

“You got that right!” I said, giving a peace sign to Mai. 

Mai then directed her attention to the boys. “But why did you guys come out here, anyways?”

“We saw you two beautiful ladies were missing, so we came to find out what you were up to.” Jared said as he stood in between the three of us. “There is no way I could survive without your beauty to shine light upon me.”

I grinned. “Oh, really? In that case…” I then took a quick jab at Jared’s thigh. “Huh?”

In less then a second, Jared had jumped out of the way of my attack and reappear a few feet away. “Unlike you two, who was raised to be stealthy seductresses, I was raised by a fleet of humanoid cheetahs.”

“We’ll see about that!” PBG shouted, now taking his own battle stance.

By the time the warning bell rang, we had gotten so tired that we decided to lay down and watch the clouds crawl past us. 

“Thanks for playing with us.” I giggled, “It was much more fun with more people.”

Jared then leaned on his elbow and looked down at me. “Yes, we should do this again.”

My heart skipped three times before he stood up, saying that we should head to class before bidding us farewell and sauntered away. 

“Smooth as ever.” PBG whistled. “No wonder he’s got such a big head. I wish I knew how to sparkle.”

*****************************************************************************************************

Class was just as busy as ever, the bulk of the desks merged together into the center of the room. On top, a map with a hexagonal grid was covered in red and blue figurines. Then those figures were shaped based on the class they were. Knights, priests, lords, tacticians… We were supposed to conquer the opposing forces without losing our own. It was a fun lesson that reminded me of the game that my uncle would push me into playing with him. 

I couldn’t help but to notice how my would look across the room and make faces. I had to stifle my laughs as I tried to stay concentrated on the game. Shane, Jon, PBG, Ian, and Luke were in a different group across from us.

“Seeing that you have no need to write down your stratagy, Miss Sasaki, I expect you already memorized the functions of all your troops?” Ms. Shizuka said as she crept behind us. Mai stalled for a moment. “This one, right here. That is this one’s function on the battlefield?” She asked as she pointed to one of the blue haired figures.

I could tell Mai had no clue what it did. Thankfully I was close enough for her to hear me pass on what it did.

“Uh, she’s a dancer! She raises the morale of the other troops, and… so they get to move an extra turn.”

“They?” Ms. Shizuka questioned.

“...No?” Mai chanced. “No. Just one of them.”

“Well done, Miss Sasaki. You should write that down.” Ms. Shizuka offered before walking away.

Mai sighed in relief. “Thanks Yunna.” She then took the rest of class to write down tactics while hating every minute of it.

*****************************************************************************************************

It took a little longer then normal to get out of the classroom without being hindered by the fifteen angry fangirls left in my wake. 

_I can’t believe how popular Jared is. Not even the most popular guy at my old school had so many followers. But why they had it out for me, I had no idea. We had just one date. ONE! It’s not like he officially asked me out yet. Those girls still had a chance…_

My mind then started to play a scene of Jared and I holding hands, walking down the same path we did on our date to the same field of flowers. I snap out of my daydream just in time to hear the end of Mai’s story.

“Of course, she was in the wrong. I mean, who goes into space without being convinced that an alien will break into their ship and murder them?”

“I donno. Astronauts?” I shrugged.

Mai had really bounced back the last couple of days, smiling and acting like her old self again. There was no longer the mopy, daydreaming Mai. She did a full 360. I wondered what happened to make her so cheerful again.

“Hey, what’s that?” Mai pointed out to a beige envelope that was taped to our door, grabbing it before I had the chance to lift a finger. “Holy crap, it’s engraved! And it is addressed to you!” She then ran her hand over it before giving it to me.

I gave the letter a once over, feeling the thick paper in between my fingers, reminding me of the parchment paper my uncle once sent me. ‘To Yunna’ it said in a golden script. Mai and I then unlocked and relocked the door behind us to keep prying eyes and ears out. 

“Well, open it!” She said as she shoved me, a giggle escaping my lips.

“Okay! Eager beaver.” I said as I carefully picked at the seal of the letter, prying it open in a way so I wouldn’t tear the paper. I then extracted a thick white paper that was… “Soft? How can paper be soft?” The letter was handwritten and from how taken away I was by the shiny ink that it was written in, I knew it had to be expensive. I decided to read the letter aloud so Mai didn’t have to read over my shoulder again.

“‘To Lady Yunna Readman, it is our greatest and most humble pleasure that we entreat your presence at the pubic tea ceremony that will be taking place tomorrow. You may bring whoever you may wish with you, but you yourself must be present. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.’ It isn’t signed by anyone…” I looked up at Mai, an exasperated look on her face. “Do you think this is a prank?”

“No way! This has to be legit! This looks way to elaborate to be anything but the real thing.” Mai said as she now took a look at the letter. “So, what are you going to do? Are you going to go?”

I sat down at my desk, taking it all in. I wasn’t the type of person who liked going into something without knowing what I was in for. And not knowing who invited me was even more unsettling. 

“I guess I’ll go.” I said after a while. “But only if you come with me.”

“Awww yeah!” She cheered, doing a happy dance. “This is going to be awesome!”

I giggled. “I never seen someone so excited for a tea ceremony. But then again, this is my very first real one.”

“What do you mean ‘real one’?” She asked as she rested the letter on my desk. 

“Oh, I used to take tea ceremony lessons when I was little… It was never anything big like this. Just me and Mr. Teamaster.” I said as I rested my elbow on the desk, becoming lost in my memories.

“Mr. Teamaster?” Mai said with a grin.

“I couldn’t say his last name for the life of me.” I blushed. “So that’s what I called him. It’s been so long… He was actually the man who got me into japanese culture in the first place… well, next to my uncle.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.” She cooed. “What were your lessons like?”

“Well…”

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“MR.TEAMASTER! YOU’RE BACK!”

_“Indeed I am little rose bud. I think you are finally ready to learn how to perform the ceremony now that you have the basics down. Are you ready for your last lesson?”_

“Aw. It’s my last one?”

_“Hehe. Yes, for now, I need to get back to Japan to see my son.”_

“Do you think I can meet him some day?”

_“We will see. Now then, this ceremony is one that I only teach to my best students. Promise me you will never show this to anyone else unless you need to perform it yourself. Okay?”_

“I promise! Cross my heart!”

_“Good. Now, remember your posture as you sit. First we take…”_

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“Sadly, that was the last time I have ever saw him. I still remember how to do it too. But it is the only type of ceremony I know. It’s a shame I could never show anyone else without his permission…” I said as I finished recalling my last lesson.

“You are so loyal, keeping a promise to that man.” Mai said as she smiled.

“I just want to know who would go through so much effort and money to send something like this to me and not even say who they are.” I said as I pouted at the letter. “What for?”

Mai chuckled. “I guess you’ll find out!”


	3. A Tea Ceremony

I walk to the classroom, my mind not letting me rest much the previous night. I had a stroke of inspiration and ended up writing throughout the night. By the time I finished, the sun had risen. I pushed the door open, yawning as I greeted the others. 

“Hey, you guys going to the tea ceremony later?” Jon asked the others.

“Yeah, man!” PBG shouted.”Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

“Great! See you there. Maybe we can sit with each other.”

“You bet.”

“I’m going early so I can get a good seat!” Kakusu said to Mimi who was complaining that she couldn’t go.

“I have tennis practice today…” Mimi glared at Kakusu. “Take lots of pictures, okay?”

“Sure! But you have to pay.”

“What!?”

It was then Ms. Shizuka that walked into the classroom, settling everyone down for class. “Now, now, children. I know it’s a big night, but don’t forget to do your homework… Jeez. What is with this school? Kids getting excited about a tea ceremony. When I was their age I…Well, I am still your age. Nevermind.”

“Hey, Mai? Why does everyone know about the ceremony?” was the first question that came to my mind, bubbling out of me.

“Oh, well, Jared’s the one doing it. So it’s a big deal now.” She said as she sat down in her chair.

I sat next to her, now making sense of it all.

_So, Jared is doing the ceremony? That makes sense. But why invite me? I didn’t really… I didn’t tell him I had lessons like I did Mai. Maybe she let it slip? No… I only told her that afterward… Maybe the school put him up to it since his family runs a school for Japanese Arts? Well, no use worrying about it. It should be a nice, quiet ceremony._

*****************************************************************************************************

The last bell finally rang, excited chattering now bursting out of everyone. They were all talking about the ceremony. As much as I am glad that the even had so many people going to watch it, I would be glad to go back to my bunk and sleep. Dealing with people was so tiring. But as Mai and I were about to leave, PBG and Jon blocked the door.

“Hey Yunna.” PBG said casually.

Jon smiled, leaning on the doorframe. “How are you guys? Doing good, you guys?”

“We’re fine.” Mai huffed, wanting to get past them as much as I did.”

“You’re good!” Jon said back, now looking from Mai to PBG over and over. I then start to notice PBG sweating a little.

_I missed something again…_

“Well, you are going to the tea ceremony tonight, right?” PBG asked.

“Yes… we are…” I slowly said, wondering what these two were up to. 

_PBG is way too nervous… why is he… Oh. OH! I get it._

“Of course me and Mai are going. We wouldn’t dream of missing it.” I said with my best smile, winking at PBG. “Isn’t that right Mai?” I then nudged Mai with my elbow.

“Yeah…” She muttered.

“We were wondering if you want to go together.” PBG said with a smile. “It kind of freaks me out, going to super formal events like that by myself.”

“Of _course_ we would!” I said before Mai could get in a word. 

“Cool.” PBG continued, “We’ll meet up in front of the dorm. Sound good?”

“Yep! Come on, Mai. Let’s go get ready!” I said as I grabbed her elbow and pushed past the two who now let us go.

“They are kind of hopeless, aren’t they?” Mai commented.

“What do you mean?” I said as I continued to lead her down. “I think they have a perfectly good chance as anyone else.”

*****************************************************************************************************

I was looking in my closet after taking off my shoes, wondering what I should wear. “Should I wear my yukata?” I asked, knowing that I should look formal for the event.

“I donno… It’s a school event after all.” Mai pointed out. “Normally you wear a kimono, but isn’t that too formal?”

“Mai, you need to dress for the occasion.” I countered. “I guess you can say our uniforms can be formal, but still… No, you’re right. We are just watching, anyway.”

Mai giggled. “Yeah, we are just watching.”

I froze as I was pulling out one of my dresses. “You know something, don’t you?”

“I know lots of things.” Mai said as she expertly deflected the true meaning of my question. “For example, Shane sucks his thumb when he sleeps.”

“I would ask how you know that, but I think I am better off not knowing…” I said as I decided to wear my uniform anyway, putting my dress back in the closet. I glance at the clock on my desk, noting the time and grabbing my letter. “Well, we might as well go. Don’t want to be late.” 

“Yeah, you are an honored guest, after all.” Mai said as she grabbed the doorknob. 

We then stood still, my shoes now back on my feet. 

“Um, Mai? Why are we not moving?”

She then turned to face me, her face deep in thought. “Well, I was wondering… What do you think of PBG?”

I gasped, grabbing her hands and bouncing on the spot. “I knew it! I just knew it! You are falling for PBG! You’re falling for PBG!” I then do a small dance similar to hers. 

She then turned away from the door. “A-am not! I just… I wanted to know if you found him attractive…”

“Attractive? PBG?” I then thought about it. “I mean, he is cute. And any girl would be lucky enough to have him. Like you.” I winked at her, giggling. “But he is nothing but a really good friend to me. “I mean… he is great and all. But he is nothing like… Jared.”

Mai gasped. “Oh, Yunna! You have yourself a crush!”

“N-no I don’t! Just because I like him doesn’t mean…”

Mai then put her hands together and started to imitate who I am guessing was me. “‘He’s nothing like my beautiful Jared… Oh, Jared, no one can ever match up to you.”

I huffed, crossing my arms as I kept quiet.

“It’s fine. I’ll let you off the hook…” Mai said as she patted my head. “So long as you let me off the hook for PBG.”

I looked at her slyly. “Tra, la, la. A good friend never reveals her secrets. Tra, la, la.”

“Pft. Whatever. Now come on, hurry up! We are definitely going to be late, now!”

*****************************************************************************************************

We had made it out to the boys dorms just as Satch and PBG were walking out.

“I wonder if Jon went ahead.” I said to no one particular.

“He probably had something else he needed to do.” Mai commented back, now seeing PBG. “HEY! PBG! YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GUESS WHAT YUNNA SAID ABO- mmph!”

I had covered Mai’s mouth with my hands. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing. You know how Mai is sometimes.” I then felt her start to lick the palm of my hand. “You are going to have to try harder than that, Mai. I have two little brothers back home, remember?”

She then crossed her arms as I finally pulled away my hands once I knew she wasn’t going to say anything else. “You are blocking my right of free speech!”

“Uh, we are in Japan.” I pointed out.

“Well, whatever. It was rude. Besides, we have that here, right?”

“I’m just making sure you keep up your promise so I keep mine. That’s all.” I said as I smiled. 

“Weren’t you born in Japan?” Satch asked, lifting his glasses.

Mai shrugged. “Yeah, but my creators weren’t.”

“That’s not a very nice way to refer to your parents…” I said, dismissing it. “So, ready to go, guys?”

“Well, I see you are as lively as ever.” Satch said as our group started to walk to the auditorium. 

“Of course we are! The tea ceremony is tonight, after all!” Mai said excitedly.

As we continued our way, many of the other Asagao students were walking out and joining together. The mass of students looked less like people and more like a moving shadow. 

_Wow. This is a really big deal, isn’t it?_

We continued to walk, but we were all quiet. It was Satch that finally broke the silence as he commented on the sunset. We all agreed, thankful that we had reached the line into auditorium before another dead silence took over.

“AH! I got it!” Satch said as he rose his finger in his epiphany. “Looks like there’ll be more then one thing will coming to fruition tonight.”

PBG then started to laugh. “Silly Satch. Tea can’t come into fruition. And it is not like there is going to be anything else happening tonight, right? You’re so silly sometimes.”

“Maybe it is better if you didn’t talk, PBG.” Satch said as he then shot PBG a look of ‘you need to be quiet now’.

“Noted.” PBG said just as quickly.

We had then finally arrived at the entrance, feeling the air conditioner cooling my skin.

“After you, Yunna.” Satch said as he waved me inside.

*****************************************************************************************************

The theater was filled to the brim with chattering students. Everyone was shifting this way and that, wanting to get the best view. 

_Guess it doesn’t matter where you come from. Kids are still kids._

The four of us stood on the top steps before Satch pointed out the four seats that were roped off with a large sign that said ‘Reserved’. 

“Wait, we get those?” I asked as we started down the steps.

“Of course!” Mai smiled. “You’re the special guest, after all.”

I nodded as we made our way across the front aisle.

“Aw, Jared got us the best seat in the house!” Mai said happily.  
“So, what do you guys know about this?” I asked, now settled into a seat between PBG and Satch. “Isn't this just a tea ceremony? You guys act like there is more to it.”

PBG laughed. “Just wait and see. It’ll be fine.”

I was then left to my thoughts, wondering why Jared would do this for me. 

_I don’t get you Jared. Why are you doing this? I wasn’t from any family with power or money. I’m painfully plain and uninteresting. Did he really just want me to have tea with him? Why couldn’t we do this in private?_

The lights to the theater dimmed, my attention now at center stage. As the spotlight turned on, Jared was now standing in front of us dazzling the audience in his kimono. The audience in turn admired him in a hush. 

“Good evening, my friends.” He then clasped his hands together as he started to address us.

The audience then murmured, clearly hearing a girl freaking out when he address them as a friend.

He waited for the room to become quiet again before continuing. “Thank you all so much for coming. This is a great turnout. I didn’t expect this at all. Thank you for your interest in the traditional arts.” He then bowed, causing the girls behind us to sigh. “I’m even more grateful you all came out, because there is something important I wanted to do tonight.” He then looked straight at me. “There is someone very special to me in the audience - someone I care a lot about. I would like to do tonight’s ceremony with her.”

Another wave of hushed voices arose. “Jared finally likes someone!?” a girl whispered way too loudly. 

“Good for him.” I could hear Kakusu say, wondering if she even knew how to whisper. “He deserves an established mating partner.”

Jared then reached his hand out to me. “Yunna, my beloved blossom… Will you do this ceremony with me?”

Mai started to squee loud enough for me to hear her over PBG telling me to get going. I then felt Mai and PBG helping me up, passing me along as other people moved out of the way now that I was moving on my own. I walked up to the stage, standing on it’s edge. Jared then continued to beckon me closer, taking a deep breath as I took to the stage after such a long time. I then started to remember my old tea lessons. I clasped my hands together in front of me, stood straight, and walked with as much confidence as I could. He then offered me his hand, which I took with my own. The audience then clapped out of politeness more than anything else, Jared now kneeling before me.

“My lady.” He said as he gestured toward a cushioned set on the opposite side of a tea table. “After you.”

I nodded, taking my time to carefully sit on my ankles without too much movement. 

Jared then took his seat and faced the audience once more. “As some of you know, I have been trained in the Art of the Tea Ceremony almost since birth. However, as you may have already realized, this ceremony will not be a formal or traditional one. I altered it to add my special flair, to express myself, and to accommodate my lovely partner.”

Once he had pointed it out, I looked down at the table. The setup was very different to what I was used to. The tea was powdered and there were a few tools I have never seen before. But then again, I only knew the one ceremony.

“I hope you’ll all forgive me for my transgressions against tradition. Sometimes one must follow their heart and forge their own path.” he finished as he tossed his hair beautifully out of his face, sending sparkles into the audience. 

All of the females in the audience then started to fangirl loudly, their shouts and waving rivaling the excitement the crowd had during PBG’s last soccer game. “ANYTHING FOR YOU, JARED!!!” A random girl shouted, waving both hands in the air as she leaned forward on her seat.

Jared smiled softly as he held up his hands to settle the crowd down, the cheering stopping almost instantly. “Now that that’s out of the way, I hope you’ll enjoy the ceremony! Please try to contain yourselves, ladies. I want everyone to be able to enjoy this in it’s purest form, and that means taking in the perfection in silence.” 

I was a little taken back, hearing him using such a stern voice to address everyone instead of using his usual, flowery ones. He was taking this very seriously. 

“Please help me while I make my feelings clear!” He begged, his eyes now scanning the audience. When he was satisfied that everyone understood, he sat across from me.

_Express his feelings? Did he really feel that deeply for me? Never in a million lifetimes would I ever think that I would be in a situation like this. Why did he resort to expressing himself in front of the entire school? Was it because if he didn’t, the rest of the student population wouldn’t believe me if I had said he had asked me to be his girlfriend in private? Popular people befuddle me…_

He then started to take each utensil and clean them, a step I was familiar with. He moved with as little effort as needed, each movement smooth and crisp as he moved from the whisk to the bowl. I watched avidly, wanting to pick up his techniques as I observed just like I used to long ago. 

“You know, Yunna…” He said quietly enough for the audience not to hear but loud enough for me to understand as he bowed his head to focus on the bowl in front of him, “You caught my eye the moment we met on that train.”

I started to blush as I realized his words, my hands gathering the material of my skirt as they tightened. I nodded softly to let him know that I had heard.

“I mean it.” He said as he then picked up another tool to take a small pile of green tea and add it to the bowl. “I know it might seem like I say this to all the girls, but I really mean it.” He then started to add the water from the heated teapot that rested on the table. “You had the most ecstatic look on your face as you were lost in your own little world. You looked like you were about to burst the second the train would stop. I knew from that moment that you were more unique than anyone else I have ever met. Even moreso when you ensnared me with your bubbly laugh.”

I gave him another nod, blushing further.

_I thought he wasn’t paying attention to me! And I was grinning like a weirdo the entire time... and he thought that was a good thing? We didn’t even have that much of a conversation when we did talk…_

Jared then started to whisk the tea in a counterclockwise motion, a soft sigh escaping him. “It wasn’t just that, though. You were shy, but when I addressed you, you talked so casually. You were not afraid of what other people would think of you. You have always been, from the first moment I met you, genuine. You are mostly honest about your feelings. Even if you try hide them when you are upset, you confront them when you realize that it makes others worry about you. And you are not deceived by appearances. You treat people like people, seeing beneath the dazzle and beauty…”

For an instant, his stirring had slowed, then went back up to speed. It was something that most people would miss, but my trained eye noticed. He was able to play it off very well.

“You are very brave, Yunna. Coming to a new country and a new school all by yourself so far away from your family. And I know you probably don’t trust me too much by how you acted when we took that photo together in that field… But...” Jared then sat up, taking the tea from the bowl and cleaning it’s edge before handing it to me. He then said in a clear voice that rang through the room, “You captivate me, Yunna. I offer you this tea as a sign of my respect and admiration.”

I gave a small bow as I took the tea, turning the bowl three times before taking my first sip, my hands shaking as the audience cooed. The tea was perfect. Not too bitter, not too sweet. The taste lingered on my tongue.

“Please, ” He said as he stood up from the table, “If you like it, finish the tea. There is something else I want to get for you now.”

I gave him another nod as I watched him walk off of the stage and into a room just beyond the back of the room. With Jared gone now, I was acutely aware of all the eyes that were now watching me. I fought my instinct to run as I continued to drink my tea with small, controlled sips, keeping myself busy while everyone and I waited for him to return. I had just finished my tea and had placed my bowl on the table as he reappeared, his hands behind his back.

Jared then somehow sat down in front of me without tipping over as he continued to hide whatever he went to go get, his expression filled with tension and excitement. “Yunna, my dear Yunna…” 

He then pulled his hands back to his front, a small, blue macaron in the shape of a rose in his palm. Sugar was sprinkled all over the top of the petals making it look like fresh dew and a white creme. The blue of it was nothing I had seen any natural ingredient make. I took me a moment to realize it was the same shade as my hair.

“The day we first met, you reminded me of a rose and wondered why I was so taken away by you.” He said as he looked at the macaron then at me. “As I was going to bed that night, I realized that I have just seen a rose that bloomed in the rarest of colors no one else has ever seen. It had gained a beauty that I didn’t think was possible. Rose petals wilt quickly, and their beauty swifty vanishes. But I don’t want to lose the beauty I found with you.” Jared then offered me the macaron. “Please, Yunna, tell me - will you be my girlfriend?”

The entire crowd squealed, the sudden wave of noise almost startling me off my cushion. I could barely breath, my head spinning as I tried to think. As I looked up at Jared, he was radiating confidence. But as I looked down at his hands, I noticed the smallest of tremors. 

Jared was scared.

For some reason, it made me relax and let me ignore the gawking onlookers. 

_If I take this, that means not only am I accepting his feelings, but my own as well. I have been trying to talk myself out of liking him for so long… but I can’t… I have no more excuses… I have to…_

I started to stand up, a murmur now washing over the crowd as my legs felt like they were being pricked by thousands of needles from sitting so long. Pulling the cushion along with me, I got closer to Jared, but made sure that the audience could not see my face, my back turned to them as I sat down and leaned forward, taking the macaron from his hands. 

I mumbled ‘Thank you for the food.’ before taking a bite out of it.

“Oh muhh guwrrshhh!” I moaned, sure that my face was looking pretty lewd as the cookie crumbled in my mouth. The texture was soft and flakey, the taste of blueberries intermingling with the lemon flavored buttercreme that kept the cookie together. 

Jared beamed at me as I went for a second bite, a smile spreading across my lips as he then helped me up to my feet, turning me around to face the crowd once again. “Ladies and gentlemen, she said yes!”

The audience then started to cheer and applaud. I chewed softly, the taste of the cookie too good to hastily eat even if there was seven hundred teenagers staring at me. 

Jared then lifted my unoccupied hand with his into the air, seeing him nod at me, and we bowed together. “Thank you all for coming! I hope you enjoyed the performance tonight. I am so glad you could be a part of this, and have a good night!”

And with one last round of applause, the crowd started to disperse.

Jared then turned to me, letting me finish the bite. “Did you like it?”

“It was WONDERFUL!” I shrieked, now looking down at the cookie. “What technique did you use to get the cookie to be so soft and flaky? And the buttercreme is to die for! I never knew that lemon would fit so well with it… and… and…” I then looked up at him again then down at the cookie, torn between taking another bite and wanting to talk about the taste.

Jared laughed. “You have crumbs _all over_ your face. And your clothes too…”

I looked down at my clothes and noticed he was right, simply shrugging and deciding to take another bite after all, licking a little bit of the creme left on my lips from the latest bite.

“Here…” Jared said as he started to brush crumbs off of me, making me blush. He was so close and I wanted to back away, but he was my boyfriend now! There was no reason for me to shy away. “You’ve got a little something here, too!” He said with a glint in his eye, getting closer toward me. Closer than anyone has ever gotten before. His hair brushed against my face and a warm softness pressed against my cheek.

The macaron had lost all of it’s flavor as all of my senses focused on his kiss.

“You are so cute when you blush!” He teased. “And all of that, just from a kiss on the cheek!”

_He… he kissed my cheek…_

I shook my head hard and ate the last bite of my macaron, looking away shyly from him as he laughed again.

_I… kind of want more…_

Jared then looked back at the empty auditorium save for Satch, PBG, and Mai who were left in their seats. “You better get going. I’d love to walk you back, but I have to clean all of this up, and students are not allowed here after the show. Plus it’s past curfew. You go home. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

I gave him a small nod, watching him as he started to gather his supplies. “Can I get…?” I started to ask before I felt Satch tap on my shoulder, nodding toward the exit.

*****************************************************************************************************

Once we were outside, PBG, Satch, and Mai started to congratulate me. 

“Three cheers for a job well done!” Mai shouted as she glomped me.

“I didn’t do anything. It was you guys that were in on it!” I giggled.

Mai nodded, smiling. “Of course! Anything for my best friend.”

PBG laughed. “Leave Jared to be so suave.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Satch agreed. “That guy’s a real entertainer.”

“A real ham.” PBG grinned.

I stayed rooted on my spot as the other three started to walk ahead. “Hey, guys? I… I think I will wait up for Jared…”

“What?” Mai said, a little shocked. “But it’s late out. And past curfew.”

 

“Don’t worry about it! It’s not like I am walking around on the street. I’ll be waiting right here.

Satch and PBG looked at each other and Mai was about to object again.

“Seriously, I’ll be okay! I’ll walk home with Jared when he gets out. It’s not like we are in downtown L.A. Now get going, or you will get in trouble.”  
“Shouldn’t we stay with you-” PBG started to say before I cut him off.

“I want to talk to him alone.” I said flatly, getting tired of dancing around the subject.

“All right.” Mai said, finally defeated. “But if you are not back in the dorm in an hour, I am coming after you, ya hear?”

“Crystal.” I laughed, waving them goodbye.

I then stood back at the theater doors, taking a deep breath as felt the fresh night air.

_It has been so long since I had a moment to myself like this. It’s nice. Things have been happening so fast that I hadn’t had time to slow down. Having friends, a potential club, and now a boyfriend… time was just flying by._

I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of cicadas singing in the darkness. My breathing was finally evening out, the stress of the ceremony finally giving way. 

In. Out. 

In. Out.

I started to shiver as the air started to chill me, rubbing my arms a little as I did my best to stay still to keep the warmth of the wall on my back.

_Jared sure is taking his time. I should have brought my phone so I could practice… Oh well._

_…_

_I wonder how everyone is doing back home… They must be doing all right since they haven’t called in a while. I bet the twins are driving Mom and Hana mad._

_I hope Dad doesn’t try and make trouble while I’m gone._

My parents have always been at odds since I can remember. I didn’t understand it at the time, but my Dad kept cheating on Mom. And she would take him back every time. She knew that I wanted him in my life and did her best to fix things. But when she was pregnant with my little brothers and he had cheated on her yet again, it was the last straw. She decided to tell me what was really happening now that I was old enough to understand and I agreed that they should stay separate. The custody battle over the twins after they were born was hard, but thankfully Mom was able to win. And even though we struggled to make ends meet, I was happy to see my mother finally smiling with true happiness and not just putting on a mask.

I looked up at the sky, noticing how far the moon has moved since I walked out. I couldn’t help but wonder what I wanted to do with my life.

The door then suddenly opened, Jared now walking out with his arms holding a box of kitchen supplies, whisk in his mouth and his kimono folded on top of everything. I called out his name, causing him to almost drop everything. Thankfully, I was able to grab hold of the box, seeing him staring at me as if he wanted to say something. I giggled as I grabbed the whisk from his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” He asked as I took the kimono off the top of the box.

“I couldn’t let you go home alone.” I said as I placed the whisk carefully in the box, finding a spot where it fit just right.

Jared continued to stare at me. “But - It’s been half an hour!”

“Well…” I said, blushing softly as I ran my hand over his kimono. “I just… I wanted to talk to you alone… Because… I wanted to say… I’m really happy that you want to date me. Everything that happened up until now still doesn’t seem real. I can’t believe that you would have such strong feelings for someone… someone like me. Besides, after all that, there is no way I could leave you here alone. After all, I am… I am your g-girlfriend now…”

Jared stared at me with his mouth gaping open now, completely speechless. “Yunna… I… I…” He muttered a little before flipping his hair back, his immaculate smile back on his face. “I mean, of course we are meant to be together! There’s no way two such attractive people as ourselves could exist on this earth without belonging together! In any case, we should head out before we get in trouble. A fair maiden like you shouldn’t be out here facing the darkness alone.”

I rolled my eyes a little, now pulling a kettle that was dangerously teetering off the edge. “Here, I’ll help you carry a few things.”

“Oh, my dearest Yunna! What have I done to deserve a magnanimous flower as yourself?”

I laughed, blushing again as we both walked down the path to Bluebell house. We then dropped off his things on the first floor, then headed to Primrose. 

He then started to go into detail on the preparation to the performance. “The hardest part was the macaron. You do not want to know how many I had to go through to make that!”

“I can just imagine. It is always hard trying to make a new recipe from scratch. Even harder to fine tweak it.” I said as I nodded. “I am so happy I ate it when I did. If I waited any longer, the taste would probably have changed a lot.”

“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you enjoyed it. I was so worried that it, of all the batch, didn’t end up tasting good.”

“It was wonderful! Maybe you can teach me the recipe sometime so I can make some for you?”

“Of course! Anything you ask, I’ll do. Anything for you, my lady!”

“It’s too bad I couldn’t take a picture of it… Oh well. The taste is better than any picture. I could tell that you had put a lot of care into making it. It had a warmth that you can’t get just by looking at it.”

Jared continued to grin at me as I praised him. “Yunna, you are just too cute for words. Anyway, we’re here.”

I turned to see Primrose house in front of us. “So we are…” I sighed.

“Don’t worry, Yunna. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. But for now, it’s late. And I have taken up too much of your time already.” He said as he patted my head. “Thank you for walking with me. It was incredibly nice of you to wait for me. And thank you… for being my girlfriend. Good night, Yunna.”

I fidgeted with my hands for a moment, debating with myself whether I should do something I really wanted to do or not. 

_Should I or shouldn’t I? Should I or shouldn’t I...?!_

After another moment, I decided to throw my caution to the wind.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to my level, softly pressing his lips against mine.

“G-good night…” I breathed before pulling away from him, trying not to look at his face. Before he could say a word, I was dashing into Primrose house, mortified that I actually gathered the courage to kiss him on the lips.

I didn’t dare look back to see him walk towards home.

**Author's Note:**

> I am planning on posting on Sunday's again, but I might just have to post whenever I finish writing a chapter if something else happens (which I hope doesn't happen). It's nice to have something to work on again. Please feel free to comment. I want to know I am doing good or bad. I don't mind suggestions either! So... Um.. Until next time!


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